Pernicious Anaemia and other Conditions

Autoimmune disorders, especially thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and vitiligo, are associated with Pernicious Anemia, but there are also some other disorders that occur more frequently together with Pernicious Anaemia.

35% of people with Pernicious Anaemia report having one or more additional autoimmune disease diagnoses.
These ranged from a single diagnosis to up to 5 separate diagnoses. The most frequently reported co-existing conditions were :

  • Hashimoto’s disease (21%)
  • Vitiligo (8%)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis (7%)
  • Psoriasis (6%)
  • Graves’ disease (4%)
  • Coeliac disease (3%)
  • Type 1 diabetes (2%)

Almost 70% of our members reported other non-autoimmune conditions, most occuring are:

  • Asthma
  • Depression
  • Arrhythmia
  • Type 2 diabetes

Other vitamin and mineral deficiencies that occur commonly in people with PA are iron, folate and vitamin D deficiency.

1. Autoimmune Thyroiditis

This is caused by either an over or under-active thyroid gland. This condition shares many of the symptoms of PA including tiredness and lack of concentration. There are different types of Thyroiditis and each type has its own treatment regime. Patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) have a higher prevalence of pernicious anemia compared with the general population. Clinical signs of B12 deficiency may be subtle and missed, particularly in patients with known autoimmune disease.24.1% had clinical thyroid disease
Patients with AITD have a high prevalence of B12 deficiency and particularly of Pernicious Anaemia. Up to 28% of patients with AITD have low B12 levels.

2. Vitiligo

This causes irregular pale patches of skin due to loss of pigment. The exact cause is unknown but it is thought to be a combination of auto-immune and genetic conditions. Vitiligo is a chronic condition. Cosmetic make-up, steroid creams and UV light therapy are all used to treat the condition.

3. Diabetes

This causes irregular pale patches of skin due to loss of pigment. The exact cause is unknown but it is thought to be a combination of auto-immune and genetic conditions. Vitiligo is a chronic condition. Cosmetic make-up, steroid creams and UV light therapy are all used to treat the condition.

4. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Where the body’s auto-immune system attacks the bone joints leading to what can be a severely painful condition that makes moving of certain parts of the body very difficult. There are various treatments used to treat RA including Cortisone therapy.

5. Psoriasis

This is where the skin regenerates itself quicker than it needs to which leads to white scaly patches appearing. Psoriasis can be chronic or occur as a ‘flare up’ especially in the spring. Various treatments are available depending on the severity of the condition and include steroid creams and UV Light therapy. The effectiveness of the various treatment regime varies from patient to patient.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Is associated with Psoriasis and usually develops about ten years after Psoriasis first appears and causes painful joints and sometimes swelling – especially in the fingers and toes. It is a type of inflammatory arthritis and is treated using anti-inflammatory drugs.

6. Coeliac disease

6. Tinnitus

Many patients with Pernicious Anaemia will also have tinnitus where the patient will experience ‘ringing’ in the one or both ears. The ‘ringing’ takes many forms and includes high pitched howling or whining or whistling that can last a few seconds or hours.

7. Rosacea

The ‘curse of the Celts’ – it mainly affects people of north European ancestry – manifests itself in redness of the face and neck. Treatment depends on the type of Rosacea encountered but is mainly by antibiotics tablets and antibiotic creams.

8. Eczema

This is a broad umbrella term for a wide variety of skin conditions that range from mild itching to large areas of severe red ‘angry’ skin. Various treatments are available.

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